Braiding machine



Marrch 4 w24@ L485576 A. WENDELBURG BRAIDING MACHINE Filed Sw?. 27, 19195 Sheets-Sheet 1 lay www y.

ATTORNEYS March 1924@ l,485,576

A. WENDELBURG BRAIDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 27, 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Mwah 4 1924., 1,485,576

A. WENDELBURG BRAIDING MACHINE nvm/ron /n U Men/0a alf/r6 A TTR/VEYSWIT/VESSES A. WENDELBURG BRAIDING MACHINE Filed Sent. 27, 1919 5Sheets-Sheet 5 State or New York, have invented cer.-

enanas. afin. a, ieee.

naarN ysrars; ,nr eric. ,l

an aanspannen, or new romain., n'.

nineraacninn.

' 'appiieanpn'mee septemaera'g'ieia. serial ne. naaste.

.oall whom imag concern:

the borough of Manhattan, city, county,

ain new and useful im rovementsin Braid=V lng Machines, oi' whic Y. thefollowing is a specilication..y v

My invention relates to braiding machines sind has. for its object toprovide a machine ifi' simplied and improved construction in rhich thebraiding operation is carried on.

i" a novel, eiilcient v"and economical manner. fther more specificobjects will appear from "he description hereinafter and the featuresnovelty will be pointed out in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawingsv which, for

.lustrative and descriptive puhrposes` and `Jithout deiining the limitsof the invention,- ebow severaiembodiments thereof, Figure l y a more orless diagrammatic plan view ot .aie form of the machine; Fig. 2 is acentral ffertical seetion thereof; Fig. 3 is a horizonsection on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig.

:sfiagnets and vLheir mountings; Fig. 5 is a diagram or the machine:Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail yNews of the spool or thread carrying"devices; Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views illustrating a threadtensioning device; Fig. il a fragmentary section showing another form ofmy machine; Fig. l2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof; and Figs. i3 and11i are similarviews respectively, .illustrating still anotherembodiment of the invention. ln the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, themachine comprises a suitable base preferably circular in iorm andcarried by supporting legs i6, further with a plurality of members 17extending inwardly and downwardly and connected with a centrallydepressed portion 13 as illustrated in Fig. 2. A bearing member 19extends upwardly from the portion 1S in registry with the centre thereofand formed with an upwardly continuing reduced neck 20 and with an axialpassage :2L-,the upper end of which is preferably of relativelyincreased diameter and internally screw-threaded to receive a guide cap22. "lhe latter is constructed with an axial opening yin registry withthe passage 2l, said opening in the illustrated example, having areduced diameter, lthe purpose of which vill appear more fullyhereinafter.

is a'detail elevation of a pair of 'electro'-A lie wiring systemincluded insaid.4 base being provided d# plurality 'or brackets 23 arelocatedv at regularly spaced intervals upon the base 15 and are securedthereto in any suitable manner as by means ofbolts 24, said brackets 23being formed with integral upwardly.

extending housings 25 which, as showny in Fig. 2, preferably inclineinwardly. iin the preferred construction, a pair' ci gears 26 and 27 in;mesh with each other are journalled in each housing 25, the shaft oteach gear 26 beingl continued inwardly beyond its housing and beingconnected with a spool or thread carrier 28 having opposite end members29 and 39, as shown in Fig. t3. .sin arm 31 is pivotally connected at 32with the end member and carriesI a stud 33 upon which the spoolv 3i isrotatably mounted so as to permitits thread to be unwound therefrom; vatits upper end each stud 33 is formed with a recess 35 internallyscrewthreaded for the accommodation oi a bushing 36 in which a `plunger37 is slidably mounted. The latter is maintained in and :returned to itsnormal position by means of a spring 38 located in the recess 35 and byeti-operation with an aperture 39 in the end member 29. serves to lockthe stud '33 and spool 34e in orative position upon the spool carrier28. il depressing the plunger 37 out of the aperture 39 against thetension ci the spring 38, -the spool or thread carrier 28 is releasedand may be swung to the dotted position in Fig. 6 to permit the removalof an empty spool 3d and the substitution of a new supply of thread d0.To facilitate the depression of the plunger -37 the end member 29 may beprovided with a spring 41 havinga projection 42 in registry with theaperture 39 and adapted to engage the plunger 37 when the latter is inits opersoV ative position. rllhe s ring di may be conl tinued in theform o a resilient linger i3 arranged to lie over an opening da formedin the end member 29 and through which the thread #i0 is guided to thebraiding point; in such case the inger i3 constitutes a tension devicefor maintaining the thread 40 under proper tension. ln order to refromand' constitute supports tor a circular track 4:7, a co-operating track48 being arranged concentrically within the track Z1:7 in

spaced relation thereto, as shown in Fig. 2 and being carried by arms4:9. 'lhe latter comprise preferably integral parts of and eX- tendradially outward from a collar 56? whichis xed upon the neck ot thebearing member 19 in any suitable manner asl by means ot one or more setscrews 50. A plurality of spool or thread carriages 51 are located uponthe tracks t7 and 48 and are supported'thereon by means of wheels Ythefriction between the wheels 52 and 53 and their respective axles. Eachspool or thread carriage further includes an arm 59 pivotally connectedat 60 vto the end member 56 and in its normal position lying in surtaceengagement therewith, as shown in lFig. 8. A stud 61 projectsl from thearm 59 and serves as a support for the spool 62 which may betrictionallyl secured thereon and in addition may be held againstunintentional removal trom' said stud 61 by means of a screw 63 locatedat the free end thereoil1 and having a head which projects peripherallybeyond said stud asshown in Fig. 8 or which may be held upon said stud61 by the action oit the screw 63 alone. W ith this arrangement the studand arm are held in their operative positions by gravity and may beswung on thepivot 60 to a position in which a spoel may be readilyremoved from and placed upon the stud 61. '.lhe axle 55 ot thewheel 53is provided with an yaxial passage 6d through which the thread 65 passestrom a spool 62 tothe central point et the machine at which the braidingis being done.

The carriages51 may each be provided with an armature 66 located inregistry with and within the lield oit magnetlc activity ofelectro-magnets 67 or said carriages may be made, for instance, etsteel, in which case the armatures 66 may be dispensed with, theelectro-magnets 67 in either case4 maintaining'said carriages in aredetermined spaced arrangement and in hired spaced relation. to eachother and,` in the form being described, acting also as driving.Tieanswhereby said carriages are driven in a commen circnlar path' uponthe tracks t7 .and in the manner and for the purpose to be more fullyset forth hereinafter. 'lhe armatures 66, it included in theconstruction be secured upon the carriages 51 by means et screws 68 soas to depend therefrom registry with but spaced .from the Maarre treeends of the cores of the electro-magnets 67, the latter being arrangedin pairs or in any number which may be required upon supporting members69 extending radially outward, from a sleeve 70 preferably as integralparts thereof. 'lhe use of steel in the construction of the carriages,or armatures 66 if these are included, and in the cores of theelectro-magnets 67, is preferred for the reason that this metal, oncemag* netized, becomes a substantially permanent magnet. 'lhe cores ofthe electro-magnets 67 may, for the `same reason, comprise soft ironcapped with steel if this is preferred. Suitable insulation 71 islocatedl between each pair of electro-magnets 67 and the member 69 whichcarries them. The sleeve 70 is rotatably mounted upon the bearing member19, friction being reduced to a minimum by the inclusion of properlylocated ballbearings 72, as shown in lFig. 2. An

annular rack 73 is mounted and secured upon the members 69 at the outerends thereof and meshes with the gears 27 to drive the same as will bemore fully described further on in ,the description. Any suitable meansmay be provided for rotating the sleeve 7 0 and with it theelectro-magnets 67 and annular rack 7 3 upon the bearing mem-1 ber 19;jfor instance, as shown in lFig. 2,

the sleeve 70 at an intermediate point may o be constructed in the termof a pulley 74 for the accommodation of a driving belt operativelyconnected with any well known type of engine.

As illustrated in` Fig. 5, the electre-mag nets 67 are electricallyconnected in series by means of wires 75, the terminal electro;

magnets wherever they may be in the series,

being connected by means of wires 76 and 77 with commutator rings 78 and7 El, respectively. 'lhe latter in the illustrated example shown in Fig.2, are mounted upon the members 69 and are electrically insulatedtherefrom by means of suitable insulation 80; said commutator rings 78and 79, in the operation of the machine, travel in contact withstationary brushes .81 and 82 respectively, the latter being suitablymounted in the machine and being carried, tor instance as shown, by asupport 83.extend ing upwardly trom and secured to the portion 18 et thebase 15. The brushes 81 and 82 ,are insulated 'from the support 83 bymeanfs oi insulation 84,- and are connected with a source ot electricalenergy in the customary manner by means et wires 85 and 86.

'Ehe machine preferably includes further a feeding mechanism whereby theinished product is fed along, this mechanism in the illustrated exampleshown in Fig. 2 comprising a peripherally grooved wheel 87 carried by ashaft 88 which is rotatably mounted in brackets 89 depending Jfrom lll@lilO

mesme the portion 18 of the base 15, the peripheral groove of said wheel87 registering with the axis of the passage 21 in order to prevent undueangular strain on the product as it is being fed through the machine.The wheel 87 is rotated, for instance, through the medium of a gearWheel 90 mounted upon the shaft 88 and meshing with a cooperating gearWheel 91 secured upon a shaft 92. The latter is journalled in bear' ings93 located upon the base portion 18 and carries a worm ypinion 94 whichmeshes with a worm gear 95 preferably, though not necessarily,comprising an integral part of the sleeve 70. The arrangement, inaddition, may include a pair of tension rollers 96 rotatably securedupon an arm 97 and adapted to exert an equal yielding pressure upon theproduct at the Wheel 87. The arm 97 is pivoted at 98 upon'one member 99of a bell crank lever pivoted at 100 upon a bracket 101 depending fromand secured to the base portion 18; the other member 102 of the bellcrank lever is provided with a counter-weight 103 which is adjustablethereon and is held in an adjusted position in any suitable mannereither by friction or through the medium of suitable fastening means. tI

As shown in Fig. 8, the armature 66 at one end carries a rod 103extending upwardly and having its free end in registry with, or a littleabove, the thread passage 64 and supporting a member 104 of nonmagneticmaterial, sueltas brass slotted at 105 and serving as a carrier for ascrew 106 or other element of magnetizable material which rests uponsaid end of theV rod 103. By reason of the fact that the armature 66 andwith it the rod 103 becomes magnetized during energization of theelectro-magnets 67 the screw 106, or its equivalent, and with it themember 104. is drawn against the end of the rod 103. The thread whichpasses between the rod 103 and screw 106 before it reaches the passage64 is thus maintained under a continuous tension; the same result may beobtained by constructing .and utilizing fthe member 104 simply as aweight.

In describing the operation of the machine so far described, it will beassumed that it is being used to apply a braided cover to anelectrically insulated wire, it being understoodthat this is only an eX-ample and that the machine is equally well adapted for other braidingand weaving purposes including the production of tubular weaving.

In operation power is applied, for instance, by means of a belt to drivethe pulley l 74 whereby the sleeves 70 is rotated upon the ball bearings72 and about the bearing member 19. This brings about an ac.-

tuation of the wheel 87, through the medium of the worm gear 95, wormwheel 94 and gears 91 and 90, whereby the wire 107, which has beenpreviously passed through the cap 22 and paage 21 is fed therethrough,it being understood that the threads 40 and' 65 have all been connectedwith said wire in any well known and convenient way. The tension wheels96 under the influence of the weight 103 cause the wire 107 to bemaintained in proper frictional contact with the wheel 87, to insure thedesired feed through the machine. The actuation of the vsleeve alsobrings about a rotation of the members 69 and thereby causes theelectromagnets 67 to be likewise moved, the latter because of theirmagnetic influence -upon the armatures 66, carrying the thread carriages51 along and causing said carriages 51 to travel behind each other in acircularI path upon lthe tracks 47 and 48. 1n this-way the threads 65are continuously moved in a predetermined path about the wire 107 as acentre. At the same time, through the medium of 'the annular rack 73which partakes of the rotative tra-vel of the members 69 and sleeve 70,the gears 27 and 26 are rotatably driven and bring about a rotation ofthe carriers 28 and the'spools 34 about the axis of the gears 26. Thethreads 40 are thereby caused to describe, circular paths having theaxes of said gears 26 as centres at one end and the braiding points ascentres at the other ends, and passing through the horizontal plane inwhich the threads 65 travel in cir-- cular paths. In other words, thethreads 40 are carried around the carriages 51. the arrangement,dimensions and locations of the parts being such that when the carriers28 have been rotated through arcs of 1809 from the positions shown inFigs. 2 and 6, the thread openings 44 will be slightly below the levelof the tracks 47 and48 so that the threads 40 will lie across the tracks47 and 48 and span the same under a tension whereby the wheels 52 'and53 will readilyJ ride over the threads, the space between the cores ofthe electro-magnets 67 and the armatures 66 permitting the passage ofthe carriages 51 without interference with said threads 40. 1n otherwords the carriages 51 pass beneath and .over the threads 40 inpredetermined sequence, depending upon the character of the braidin andcarry the threads 65 with them so that the threads 40 and 65 aresecurely and eiciently braided together about the .wire 107. rlhethreads' 40 ofttimes being led from the spools 34 as double strands, therotative movements of the carriers 28 will twist said strands andthereby increase the tensile strength of said threads 40. The use of thegears 27 is desirable to cause the threads 40 to travel in directionsopposite to the travel of the carriages 51 so that said ioo threads areswept beneath said carriages whereby the danger of obstruction to thepassage ot said threads is reduced to a minimum. Byproviding the wheels52 'and 53v with the previously mentioned transversely roundedperipherles, all shearing action on the threads and on the tracksv isavoided thereby will, by gravity, keep the armatures down in theirintended positions and cause the wheels 52 and 53 to travel around onthe tracks 47 and 4S whereby cutting ot' the threads from this cause isalso avoided. The speed a-t which the wire 107 is fed through themachine determines the close.- ness of the braiding or whether it isstraight or diagonal; that is to say, the higher' the rate of speed atwhich the wire is fed along, the more open or diagonal the braiding, andcouversely.-the slower the feed ot' said wire, the more closely orstra-ight will the threads be braided together.

lln the form shown in Figs. 11and 12, the annular rack 13, instead ofbeing rotat able as is the rack 73 in vFig. 2is stationary and iscarried by brackets 23 similar to the brackets 23 and likewise securedupon the base 15. The housings 25a which correspond to the housings 25,on the other hand, are mounted upon members G9a which,

similarly to the members ($9 comprise integral parts of a sleevejournalled upon the bearing member 19. 'llhe housings 2:3 contain gears26 and 27, the Jt'ormer of which have their 'axles extended inwardlybeyond the housings and secured to the carriers 28 which may be of thesame construction as in the form first described and which likewisecarry the spools 31 from. which the threads -tll pass to the braidingpoint. rll`he electro-magnets (37 in`the present instance, are carriedby members 69b projecting radially outward from a secondary sleeve 70"which is also rotatably mounted upon the bearing member 19, the latterbeing suitably shaped to properly support the secondary sleeve 70"' 70,as shown ini lig. 11. lBall bearings 72 may be provided at proper pointsbetween thel secondary sleeve 7Gb and the bearing member 19l in order toreduce friction to a minimum. The tracks 47 and 48a in this formare alsostationary and are carried by arms 4:6 and 49a respectively, said armsbeing rigidly secured to the bearing member 19a in any suitable manner.'llhe carriages 51 and the elements combined therewith and carriedthereby are the same as in Fig. 2 and likewise travel in a commoncircular path in the same general relso located upon the car-' above themain sleeve.

ative arrangement upon the tracks 47a and 48, the threads 65 being ledfrom said carriages to the braiding point in the same manner. Themembers 69 and 69b are provided with annular racks 108 and 109respectively which are in operative connection with pinions 110journalled upon studs 111, the latter being secured to and projectingoutwardly from the bearing member 19"L as shown in Figs. 11 and 12. Itwill, of course, be understood that the electro-magnets 67a areconnected with a source ot' electrical energy as in the form firstdescribed or in any other well-known and suitable manner. v

As power is applied to rotate the sleeve 70 upon the bearing member 19a,for instance, through the medium of a suitable belt co-operating withthe pulley 71, the members 69Z1 and with them the housings 25n will bedriven in a circular path. At the same time, because of the rollingengagement of the gears 27 with the stationary annular rack 7 3, thecarriers 28 and spools `3l mounted thereon will be rotated through themedium of the gears 26 about the axes of the latter. ICoincdentally withthe above operations, the. pinions 110 by means of the racks 108 and 109transmit circular motion lto the members 69b and electroniagnets 67a andthereby by means of the electro-magnetic effect upon the armaturescauses the carriages 51 and the elements carried thereby including thethreads 65, to be actuated in the same way as in the form firstdescribed.

Because of the location of the pinions .110'between the annularzracks108 and 109, the carriers 28 and the carriages 51 travel in oppositedirections over circular paths, the operation ot the machine and thebraiding ot the threads upon the wire 107 being otherwisethe same as inthe form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

lln the embodiment ol the invention illustrated in Figs. 18 and 14. thehousings 25 with the gearsl 2G and 27 mounted therein and carrying thecarriers 28 and the elements-associated therewith are movable over thestationary rack 73 in the same way as in Figs. 11 and 12. rllhedifference between the form now being described and those previouslydescribed resides in the tact that the track 47 is connected with themembers upon which the housings 25a are Secured while the track 481 isconnected with the track 47h by cross-pieces 112 and is carried uponmembers Z19b extending 'radially outward from a sleeve 50arotatableaboi'it a reduced portion of the bearing member 19. Ballbearings 113 may be provided at the necessary points to reduce friction.rll`he electro-magnets (37b in this form are sta.- tionary and arelocated upon members`69c which are rigidly secured upon the bearing ttfnascere member 19. 'lhe carriages 51 andthe elements connected therewithare mounted upon the tracks t7 and 48 in the same way as in the otherforms and are con,A

structed Ain the same way, the armatures 66 thereof being Withinthemagnetic field of the electro-magnets 67".

Thus, as Vthe machine in the form under discussion is operated, thecarriers 28 and tro-magnets 67 which themselves are stationary in thisform. Otherwise this form is constructed and operates in the same waycev as those previously described herein.

ln all forms of the machine the number of carriages 51 may equal thenumberv ot carriers 28 or the number may be predetermined with respectto the nature of the t pe of braiding which is desired and may t us bemore or less than the number of carriers. Similarly, the operation .ofthe carriages or ot the carriers with respect vto each other may be suchthat the threads are alternately carried under and over successivethreads or the timing may be arranged for any other arrangement desired,this also depending on the nature of the braid desired.

The carriages 51 are maintained in their intended relative arrangementeven whenv the machine is at rest, because of the wholly or partly steelcovers of the magnets or the steel of the armatures or of the carriages,in the absence of armatures, or any of them, by the action of theelectric magnets become substantially permanent vmagnets and thus exerttheir magnetic influence even after the electric current through thecoils has been discontinued.

llt will be understood that suitable pressure is made for the properlubrication of all parts of 4the machine wherever this is necessary.Suitable means, lor instance, in`

the form of a shield 107 may be included in the machine tor protectingthe finished product from oil drippings arl the like during its passagethrough said machine.

The machine in all of its torms is simple 1n construction and efficientin operation and may be effectively utilized for braiding upon Arire,tubing and upon any other elements which it may be desired to cover, andis also adapted for eiiciently braiding tubular articles such as tubularshoe laces and the possible and in which the customary sinuous movementsof parte are entirely'- avoided and replaced by what may be termed continuous rolling movements, thereby reduc ing the complexity of theconstruction and friction to a minimum.

lt will be understood that the term braiding is used herein in a broadsense and that it is intended to include weaving whenever the product ofthe operations of the machine may be designated by this lat ter term.

Various changes in the specific forms shown and' described may be madewithin the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of theinvention. l

ll claim: I v 1. ln a braiding machine, two series of separated spools,the spools of each series being adapted to carry threads, all of thethreads being directed to a braiding point,

one of the series ot spools being adapted to move in a circular path,the ythree/ds carried thereby moving in a sinuous path and during aportion of such sinuous movement approaching the other series of spoolsthe other series of spools being mount anti-friction supporting meansresting upon a track, the thread from the first series of spools comingin contact with the said anti- `friction means, said anti-friction meansrevolving and thereby permitting the threads of the second series ofspools to' be swept forcibly between said anti-friction means and saidtrack, said anti-friction means being supported only from beneath, thespace between said first series of 'spools and said second series of.spools being entirely clear and unobstructed. l

2. ln a Ibraiding machine, in combination, two separate andl spacedseriesof spools, one of said series of spools carryin threads adapted tomove in a circular an sinuous path and directed toward a braiding point,the second series of spools carrying threads also directed toward thebraiding point, the second series of spools bein carried by antifrictionsupports which de ne the lowermost dip ot the threads carried by thefirst series of spools, the threadscarried by the first series of spoolsbeing apted to be forced and carried beneath said anti-friction supportsas said 'supports revolve, said anti-friction means being supported onlytrom beneath, the space between said first series ot spools and saidsecond series oil spools being entirely clear and unobstructed..

riages mounted upon antbfriction devices resting upon said traclr, aseries of carriers' spaced from said carriages and around said track andcarrying threads, the threads ot both carriages and carriers beingadaptedto be ted to said braiding point andthe said lll@ lll@

lli@

upon anti-friction devices resting upon said tracks, a series of threadcarriers located about the braiding point, at least one of saidseriestravelling in a predetermined 5 continuous path and means wherebysaid carriers are individually'actuated bto forcibly pass the threadscarried by said carriers undez` said anti-friction devices, the threadscoming in Contact with seid enti-friction devices and sweeping over theupper sureeele ALEX WENDELBURG.

